A reoccurring problem with present-day irrigation systems tailored for the landscape market has been the inability to effectively synchronize the water discharge rate and time between drip and sprinkler circuits for a common timing cycle. The sprinkler timing cycle is usually in the range of from five to ten minutes and a relatively high flow rate drip system is designed to discharge approximately one gallon of water during this time period. One costly solution to the problem has been to place the drip and sprinkler circuits on separate timing circuits. A typical standard sprinkler is the type of impulse or impact drive sprinkler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,621.
Multiple outlet emitters, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,690, are primarily designed for micro-irrigation purposes only, whereby water is discharged from each outlet at about 1 to 6 gph. Further, emitters of this type must be dismantled for replacement of flow control devices or servicing purposes.